Accounting and filing system



Sept. 25, y1945. H, WESTON 2,385,593

ACCOUNTING AND FILING SYSTEM Filed Janl 3, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 1 2s,` ,ze 37 ATTORNEYS Sept. 25, 1945. H. WESTQN ACCOUNTING AND FILING SYSTEM Filed Jan. s, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .NGE

Patented Sept. 25, 1945 UNITED, STATES PATENT i oFFlceA Herbert Weston, New York, N. Y.; vested in th Alien Property-Custodian 1 Application January 3,-194'2', serialNo. `425,498 Y V(c1. 31a-15o) 6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to card indexes or card registers of the kind in which the index cards or sheets have certain structural characteristics adapted to cooperate with portions of a container or holder for the cardsV to permit the positioning of the cardsv in relative voffset relation whereby portions of all such cards will be visible. More particularly,rthe invention relates to containers for the cards whereby such cards may be readily arranged and handled. Accounting and filing systems of this general character are disclosed and claimed'in United States'Patents Number 1,713,945 granted May 21, 1929; Number 1,975,566 granted October 2, 1934; and Number 2,192,178 granted March 5, 1940.

It has been proposed to employ slotted or apertured cards cooperating with supporting or positioning ribs and the like whereby the cards may The invention also has for an object a drawer for ya portable-tray from which it may be readily removed and conveniently -replaced and in which the tray is accessible fromeither side of the drawer. The invention also seeks constructions which areA practical from the standpoint of ease and practica'ibilityI of manufacture and convenience and durability in use.

These ,and otherobjects of the invention and the means for their attainment will'be more apparent4 from the following detailedY description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawl ings illustrating one embodiment by which the be oiset either vertically or horizontally with respect to one another, and, in its simplest form, this arrangement involved slotting or perforating the cards or sheets along the lower edges thereof for horizontal offsetting as well as vertical tioning :bars corresponding to `the positioning v members of a cabinet,l but such proposals have, in the main, been in lieu of cabinets as a simple and more inexpensive container for the cards, and, except for a reduction in weight and size due to the smaller carryingV capacity, they have aiorded no advantages over the usual Vform of cabinet or containerfor the cards and have had the added disadvantage of collecting dustand dirt and occupying considerable space in' storage on shelves. 3

One object of the invention is a portable carrier or tray for a plurality of index cards which has all of the advantages of the cabinet `so far as visibility and accessibility of the cards are concerned, but which may be disposed in the drawer of, say, a filing cabinet lina compact arrangement while at the same time, when thedrawer is opened, side wall portions of the; portable tray are capable of vangular displacement to .afford inclined supporting surfaces for the cards in ready reading position.

- walls of the b ase member.

invention may be realized and in which: l

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a portable tray in n .a drawer according to this invention, the drawer being shown in closed position;

' Figure'2 is a View in end elevation of the portable tray of Figure 1 in a drawer, the front of which has been removed ;l and FigureV is a fragmentaryview in front elevation showing details ofconstruction. Y f he portable tray of this invention, indicate generally by the reference character kII (Figure 1) comprises a rectangular Ybase member having a bottom I2, integral side walls I4 and end members I6 which are of greater height than the side Pivotally mounted upon `the. tray sidewalls I4 lare movable side members 2p. lThese side members 20 are pivotally mounted as by hin-ges 22 so that they maybe swung outwardly at an angle.` The side members 20 are also provided with inwardly directed anges or wings 26 at their front and rear edges which are-formed with arcuate slots 28, respectively,land the end members I6 are each provided with pins 29 passing through the respective slots 28 so that thesides may be moved from the full lineposition indicated in Figure 2 to the dotted line position` shown in thatiigure.

The tray of the invention is illustrated in Figure l,- as provided on its bottom surface with transversely extending positioning bars 24 disposed parallel relation` and equally spaced across the bottomof the cabinet as, for instance, by positioning their ends in slots formed in 1ongitudinally extending rectangular retaining members 25,

The cabinet in which the portable tray of ythis invention 4is housed when not in use may take the general form of a ling cabinet in which one drawer or a plurality of superimposed drawers may be housed. In the illustrated embodiment a cabinet for a single drawer is shown comprising Vertical side walls 30, top 342, a bottom 36 and an end wall 31 at the rear. A rectangular pan or clip is shown comprising the bottom 40, and tray engaging sides 46 to support the portable tray. On the Afront end of the clip 40, 46 is carried the front wall 38 provided with a handle 39 to facilitate manipulation and .thus form the drawer. The drawer is conveniently of metal.

Any suitable form of cradle suspension for the clip may be providedY whereby the drawers 38, 40, d6 may be withdrawn from the cabinet and suitably supported to permit access to the tray. As illustrated, a slide 44 is formed with sides 45 on.. which are pivoted rollers or wheelsAB v.which roll on the bottom 35. To this end the wheels' 48 pass through slots 50 in the slide 44;, Upper I1l11ee1$A er, and yielding means secured 0n the sidewalls of the cabinet for yieldably pressing the side members of the tray toward their normal inward positions while the drawer is in its closed position within the cabinet, said side members of the tray being arranged to fall outwardly to their laterally displaced positions as the drawer is drawn out from the cabinet sufficiently to disengage the side members of the tray from saidyielding means.

. 2f; In combination, as cabinet lhai/'img sidewalls anda drawer slidably mounted in the cabinet be- 5| are also mounted on the sides 45 and.,are;po\.

sitioned by a track 52 on theside of the cabine@ The pan or clip 40 forming `the drawer proper and supporting thev removable tray Hisjormed with side flanges 5d whicharepositioned between rthe;respercytive rwheels 48,1 5I to travel' therebetween; f Thusthe drawer 44; 38 is readily Amoved inand out ofthe cabinet-fand supported in its open positionagainst `tipping by the cradle sus'- pension thusdescribed..

When, therefore; the clip is Vgrasped by 'the handle l39,--it maybe pulled outwardlyfof the cabinetas -adrawer andthe portable tray ;can. then be lifted out of the, clip and carried-'to any lpoint where the vcontents of thetray areto be examined..

Ifldesired, an inner metallining--maybe providedl for the cabinet as windica-ted at'59 'along the bottom-36 and at' 60 -along the sides 3U." If* desired, the edge `portions ofv the bottom lining maybe-uptween said sidewalls, said drawer having low sides, a removable tray in the drawer, saidtray hauin-gsidemembers mounted on the sides of the tray for lateral displacement from normal inward Vpositions-substantially aligned with the sides of the sidewalls of the cabinet and arranged to enfor therollers-ll -Withinthe cabinet;Y

In-lorder'that Lthe drawer with-the tray therein may be returned without diiiiculty within Vthe cab'- inetl; provisionis 'made for retaining 'the `movable Vsideylallsl in a vertical position.P To this end, leafsprings 55, 56 aremountedon thesidesbf the-fcabinet tosupport rollers 51 which are adapted to ccntaetfthe'movable walls 20Aoftl1`e tray to yieldingly -hold them in -theV vertical position-shown in-'Figure 2.Vv Preferably'the lower leaf spring` 55 -l-ismxedposition 4as bythe-stud 58 while the end of the upperleafl spring 56- slides on thecabinetaswil-lbeunderstood.;

Thepurposa and operation ofA thee several fea- V turesof-f the inventionhavebeendescribed in con# vjunction vwith the vdescrillationof thevstructureof .the yseveral-parts;- Suflice `it-.to sayth'at card-in-` gage-thefouter*surfaces of said side members on thestraywhile the .draweris in. closedlposition'. in thercabinetand yieldablyholdsaidlsidemembers inv 1their.;normal.ilirvdld positions.. saidtrayfside merrlllcl's:n being-arranged, dialLto :their .laterally outwardly. displaced '..positionsfas the. drawer-is moved suliciently, out .of` the .cabinettd disengbge thetray 1Iside members from.4 said. yieldinggmeansl. `3. In combina-tion', a fcabnet .havingrsidewalls and .a drawer-slidably,mounted in f the .cabinet `beT tweenl said sidewalls, said;v drawer-:haring ,low side s a remoyable trayq in, .the edrawerssaid tray having. side members-mounted @n.the sides of .the trayjor lateral displacement; from normal inward positionssubstantiallyaligned zwitn the sdesbf the tray. .to positions flaterallyfcutward thereof, andl resiliently; mounted. roller. :means s edllred' lon the fCabinet., sidewalls. and l arranged. to aieldablr press the tray Side -membersflinward'lyvto1. ytheir normal.- .ppsi-tioris: as) the.. drawer is closed.; said sed tota totheir wherenneachgof said .'resiliently;.mountedifroller selectionland. combination of particular features 6 to. satisfy. .specic situations,andv no limitation is intended by the .phraseology oftheforegoing descriptiony or illustrationsvv in .the annexed-drawings exceptas .indicated in the appendedl claims.--

What isJclaimedAis: i l .LzIn combination, a cabinetfhavin'g sidewalls andiafdrawer slid'ablelin,` thel cabinet from a closed position :betweenA the y sidewalls .to an openl posi"-V meansrcomprises aroller, fandoleaf spring .means fastenedfto :the cabinetgsdewalkand carryinathe roller in laterally inwardlynspacedrelation..to .the

cabinet sidewalls. 1f

. 5.; The-s.cornbina-tiem.v as',.1;reciteds. 1byf. claimtuS., wherein eaaha-.of ;said:resiliently mounted; roller.- meanscomprises. agroller; and' bowed leaf spring. means..v haring-one end. fastenedto fthe cabinet sidewall: andfthe .,othen zend-:fini ifree sliding :ferr:v gagementzwithuthe cabinet .fsidewallf with..asaifd roller means-l carriedz-intermediatetheends-of the leafi spring.` 1

6.1 Thacombinatiomwithianabinet= having side;

.wallszandadrawer slidably mounted betweemthe:

sidewallsg' of. la ftrayi.' removablmsupported 'oni the drawer, saidtrayahavingeside; :members` pir/totally. mounted on.thesidewalls.otthetramand resilient,

`means on the'cabinet sidewalls arrang'edl'tolen-l gage-theLpivoted-rfside;membersfonrthetray:sofas tion ...wherein .the open.- sides ofY the drawerA are Y f for-.lateral displacement-,imm normal inward positionsto positionszbeylond the sides. of the drawtopressl` saidtside members laterally inwardlyt ward: their s normal .1in-ward. positionsV within the drawer, saidetrayrside members1being;.arranged.l

toi/pivot:fgravitationallyoutwardly .as l the drawer.'

ismovedI 'opentl sufliciently .to fdisengage.- said ltray. sidemembers from-said resilientimeans Y HERBERr;wEsToNf.-. Y 

